Run game key to Eagles' success

Philadelphia Eagles' LeSean McCoy runs for a short gain during an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/The Wilmington News-Journal, Suchat Pederson)

They’re just beginning to understand how committed he is to the running game loathed around here for so many years by the previous regime.

As the ground game goes, so goes Kelly’s tempo offense.

The home field-challenged Eagles need to fix it today against the New York Giants (1 p.m., Channel 29, WIP 94.1-FM) at Lincoln Financial Field.

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“You can’t just give in because they’re trying to stop the run,” said Eagles veteran LeSean McCoy, who rushed for almost 400 yards in the first three games but has less than 300 in the last four. “There’s different things I can do to be more successful. We have a lot of adjustments. So I’m waiting this week to see how it really works out.”

McCoy hit the ground running with 184 yards in the opener. That froze the defense enough for Michael Vick to find open receivers who made big play after big play. The offense ran 53 plays in a dizzying first half that all but decided the contest in their favor.

Since then the opposition realized stopping McCoy makes the Eagles one-dimensional. It disrupts the rhythm crucial to effective operation of the read option, play action pass and bootleg concepts that make the offense dynamic.

McCoy averaged 131.7 yards and 6.4 yards per carry in the first three games. In the next four contests those totals dipped to 72.5 yards and 3.7 yards. Only the defense kept the Eagles from falling apart.

Impacting the ground game is the change in quarterbacks from Vick, who hurt his hamstring in the first half of the 36-21 win over the Giants three weeks ago, to Nick Foles, sidelined this week with a concussion.

McCoy had 13 rushes for 50 yards in the first half of the previous meeting with the Giants. In the second half he managed minus-4 yards on seven carries.

The good news is Vick will be back in action, barring a setback. Less than 100 percent, he gives the Eagles their best chance of ending their record nine-game home losing streak. The not so good news is you might not be able to count on him finishing the game.

“If he’s healthy or not healthy, it’s just his presence on the field,” McCoy said. “You have to account for him if you’re the defense.”

The Eagles (3-4) haven’t beaten a team with a winning record this season. Nor have they have beaten a team that had even one win. They’re coming off a 17-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys everyone seemed to want to pin on Foles, who didn’t turn the ball over. The reality is when the Cowboys stopped McCoy, they stopped Kelly’s system because in this offense, the quarterbacks don’t have the skills to defeat the simple but effective coverage shown them.

“A lot of these teams keep trying man-to-man on us and it’s not going to go away,” center Jason Kelce said. “We’ve got corrections. I think if we run the ball it’s a lot easier to run the offense.”

The Giants (1-6) ended a six-game losing streak with a 23-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings Monday night.

Defensively the Giants are getting healthier with defensive tackle Linval Joseph (6-4, 323) back in the lineup. That at least enables them to weather the potential loss this week of tackle Shaun Rogers, listed as doubtful. Middle linebacker Jon Beason, who arrived in a trade, has given the Giants energy and leadership.

Above all the victory has given the Giants hope.

“We understand it’s a long season,” defensive end Justin Tuck said. “And as sure enough as we lost six in a row we know we can go on a winning streak of six. So for us it’s just take it one week at a time and make sure we’re practicing and earning the right to win football games. I think we can dig ourselves out of this hole. I don’t think anybody is holding their head down.”

Defensively the mission couldn’t be much clearer for the Eagles. Take away the ground game and there’s no play-action passes for Eli Manning. Playing that kind of game, Manning threw three interceptions and was hounded into three intentional grounding penalties the last time the teams played.

Then again, the Eagles need to make the adjustments to get the running game going.

The Birds also need every drop of inspiration they can get from Vick. Even with one healthy hamstring, the man has a toughness that rubs off on teammates.

“He takes a beating obviously with this style of football and the fact that he keeps getting up and getting back out there says he’s all-in,” offensive tackle Dennis Kelly said. “So you give a little bit more.”

Vick is the guy in the boxing movies who gets knocked down, gets up again and, well, you know how the movie scripts usually end.

The Eagles could use one of those finishes today. But first they need to get the run game untracked.